# Saildrone Alameda, CA-based company building wind- and solar-powered autonomous surface vehicles (USVs) for ocean data collection and, increasingly, naval defense applications. Originally an ocean science company, Saildrone is pivoting toward military maritime surveillance and — with [[Lockheed Martin]]'s investment — lethal payloads. ## Key Facts - **Total raised:** $325M+ across 5+ rounds. - **$60M funding round** (May 2025) led by EIFO (Export and Investment Fund of Denmark). - **$50M Lockheed Martin investment** (October 2025) — strategic partnership to integrate Saildrone USVs with Lockheed Martin's naval warfare systems, including lethal payloads. - **Revenue:** ~$37M (2025). 235 employees. - **First commercial USV** to receive American Bureau of Shipping classification (November 2023). ## Products - **Explorer** — Oceangoing wind-powered autonomous surface vehicle for data collection. - **Voyager** — Larger USV with expanded payload capacity; received ABS classification. - **Surveyor** — 72-foot autonomous vehicle for ocean mapping and surveillance. ## Defense Pivot Saildrone's military trajectory is accelerating: - Lockheed Martin partnership targets **live-fire demonstrations in 2026** — putting weapons on autonomous sail-powered vessels - Maritime surveillance missions for [[U.S. Navy]] - European expansion ($60M Danish investment) signals allied defense market growth - The USV form factor is uniquely persistent: wind/solar power means months-long deployments without refueling ## NOT an a16z Investment Despite appearing on [[Andreessen Horowitz]]'s [[American Dynamism]] 50 list, Saildrone is NOT an a16z portfolio company. Its investors include [[Lux Capital]], Lockheed Martin, and Danish government funds. The AD50 inclusion signals a16z's interest in the maritime autonomous space alongside its actual portfolio company [[Saronic Technologies]]. ## Saildrone vs. Saronic Both build autonomous naval vessels, but they're different animals: | Dimension | Saildrone | [[Saronic Technologies]] | |-----------|-----------|----------------------| | **Power** | Wind/solar (persistent) | Conventional engines (fast) | | **Primary mission** | Surveillance, ocean data | Surface warfare, mine countermeasures | | **Origin** | Ocean science → defense | Defense-native | | **Key investor** | Lockheed Martin, Lux Capital | [[Andreessen Horowitz]], 8VC | | **Valuation** | Undisclosed | $4B→$7.5B | ## See Also - [[Saronic Technologies]] - [[American Dynamism]] - [[Defense Tech as Asset Class]] - [[Autonomous Weapons Debate]]